RFID software continues to grow in uptake and, according to the latest forecasts from ABI Research, software revenues are set to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 20 percent through 2016. RFID tags and readers may capture real-time data, but it takes software packages to make that data useful to the organization. RFID-focused software revenue should approach $500 M in 2016.
This software belongs to two classes: "Platform" and "Line of Business" (LOB). The LOB software category is growing more rapidly overall. It is becoming easier to configure, and if matched with an appropriate RFID platform, many of the costly integration discussions of the past no longer apply. Most RFID software is produced by vendors focused exclusively on this market, such as Xterprise, Checkpoint Systems (OAT is the software), Insync and S3Edge. At present, North America is the largest regional market for RFID software; APAC follows some distance behind, with Europe the third-largest market.
- How has software for RFID changed in the past five years?
- What makes a software package a "platform"?
- Where is the "middleware" typically located today?
ABI Research's "RFID System Software for Business Optimization" study tracks the evolution of RFID software over the past five years and offers revenue forecasts for the next five. It defines and explores the concept of "platforms" and explains how potential customers evaluate RFID software packages and vendors. The report also includes international survey results. It is part of the firm's RFID Research Service, which also includes other Research Reports, Market Data, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices and analyst inquiry support.
